mama magic

I wrote the post below a week ago, but didn't get around to posting it. Thought I would post it so it wouldn't go to waste.

I can't believe the weather. We just skipped right over spring weather and went straight to the heat. Yes, I know it will get even more hot as the weeks go on, but I must say I am disappointed in this sorry-excuse-for-a-spring-season weather. It makes me want to move even more. The days for going outside were so limited this year. If I want to take all the girls somewhere, or even just outside, I have to do it extra early. If we go out in the evening, we become mosquito dinner. Yikes. I guess this summer will be a lot of indoor activities, because I hate taking babies out into the heat.

I need a patio, stat. It would be nice to have breakfast and maybe even a late, bug repellant included dinner outside this summer. Don't get me wrong, I love picnics. That will be our go-to activity I'm sure. I still remember picnics with my mother. Amazing how she could pull out anything from a bag and it would taste wonderful, just because she handed it to me. I still have this vague memory of an authentic picnic basket, too. I wonder what happened to it. I need one. It adds a special bit of magic. I need to remember the magic I have, as a mother. I get so BUSY. I forget that no one will ever be able to uncover the simple beauty of moments for my children better than I can. So many children in this world don't get to experience the magic, so I have to be mindful of creating as many special moments as I can for my girls. Time goes by so quickly. My 7 yr old would probably start looking for her own apartment if given the chance. I need to focus on creating a little bit of childhood magic, every day. I will. I am.

Here are a few magical moments we had recently:

 

Another recent backyard picnic

 

Pretty food is tasty food

 

See, all gone!

 

Happy girl

 

A special weekday dinner

 

Even daddy can create little magical moments

Hope everyone has a great weekend. 

happy thursday

I stayed up a little later than usual, surfing pinterest. For every 5 DIY pins I make, I should be required to create at least one. For a site that is used to inspire and motivate, it sure makes me feel like I get LESS done because I spend my time looking at what everyone else wants to do. Time sucker! I was tired this morning, but #2 decided that our day should start a little before 630am. Or was it #1? I don't know. Their shadows look the same when I ease out of my slumber. Despite my extreme fatigue, I remembered my promise the night before- and I started mentally planning our outdoor breakfast picnic. Mentally planning for me is the same as just doing, because I like to know exactly what I am going to do before I start. Yes, that is what I tell myself. Then I pulled myself out of bed and created a sweet little picnic for my babies. They loved every second. While I was getting everything ready, I promised myself I wouldn't stress over the mess and enjoy watching them be happy. It was perfect.

On the menu:
mini-pancakes w/ butter and a sprinkling of powdered sugar
wheat toast w/ butter and grape jelly
scrambled eggs w/ herbs de provence
fresh blackberries
blueberry mini-muffins
tangerines
orange juice
tropical island frozen smoothies
 

 Roslyn could barely contain herself while I snapped a few pics, so sissy helped. 

Who needs syrup?

 I told you there was reason to hoard the milk jars. 

 Look mama, my cute little pancake. Take a picture!

 These....are delicious!

A little morning magic.

What a great start to another beautiful day with my little birdies. We even had time to do a little outdoor sketching. They all helped me pick up, and I had everything clean in 15 minutes. (Yay!)

They were all grateful, but Emme is known around these parts as being precociously adept at conveying the most genuine sentiments. It's the genuine sounding words that she speaks from her heart that catch me off-guard sometimes, even though it happens every day. 

"Thank you so much mama, I appreciate it!" She's 3 1/2, but she's been like that since she could speak. 

I can't wait til our next picnic. It'll have to be a nice dinner. :)

nap time

#2: Mama, who was that man that used the bathroom?

Me: That was a man from a company who fixed things on our house.

#2: Well, why did he use the bathroom? Did he have to pee?

Me: Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure he needed to.

#2: Did you see his butt? 

Half of my day is over, half still needs to be lived. The first half was morning routine, a little outdoor time, mini-meals which seem to happen every 45 minutes, lots of cleaning, ordering from the Schwan's home delivery guy, and a few nursing sessions with the baby. Funny thing I realized, I usually clean the front part of the house first. I am guessing I have been subconsciously doing this in case I have surprise visitors. You never know when there may be a knock at the door, ya know? I'll get to the second half in chunks of free time.


I've been thinking a lot about homeschool again, and I feel this conviction to address it. I think this summer we will start dabbling in more home education. I have a passion for it, I have to admit. There are so many different methods. I feel like a kid in a candy store, deciding which ideas I will expose my children to. Imagine that. Being responsible for the concepts, theories and ideas that my children learn about. I am wondering why I don't know one person who has homeschooled their child or was a  homeschooled child themselves. I have been wanting to do it for so long, and I don't want to have any regrets about something so momentous in a child's upbringing. I can do it.

I have a mental to-do list a mile long. Maybe I should write it down.

#1 got her art journal, finally. If she had a good day at school, I think I will take them all outside this evening to journal a bit. I want to enjoy these days. I can't wait until the weekend to take things slow with these babies of mine. I need to slow down. I should take my own advice. 

it's over

Today was just one of those days. I start to feel overwhelmed, I text him. It's only 10:05am "I'm slowly becoming overwhelmed," I say. But he's working. The next text I get from him is at 3:48pm, "Be home at 5, got a ride." The universe just throws me a hand now and then, and it comes in little less obvious forms sometimes.

I woke up to the sound of #1 busting out of her room at 630ish. The door gets jammed, we should fix that. She dragged her Hannah Montana blanket out with her. Ol' Hannah. Glad we grew out of that phase in one piece. She laid on the couch next to me and #4, sleeping soundly. Out of all the room on the huge couch, she still wants to be next to us.

Within a minute, #2 follows her big sister's trail but veers off in her usual, somewhat obsessive, direction. I hear the familiar sound of a soda can being checked for remaining fluid. "HA, got you," I think to myself. "Get out of the kitchen" I say from the couch in the loud but still not quite yelling voice I have been perfecting. I try to sound as serious and stern as dad, but still hold back in fear of being too harsh over something so innocent, as almost all of their actions are rationalized by me. Or so I hear. "Mama, I'm so starving, I really am, please I can't wait," right on cue. "You'll be okay for a few minutes," I take a lesson from dad, once again. She sits and asks for Scooby-Doo, again.

I lay still until I send #1 off to get ready from my small cocoon that #4 keeps me in. She's like a magnet for snuggles. Just as expected, I soon hear the familiar "Maaama!" coming from #3 because her sister is in the bathroom, which shares a wall with her room. Maybe we should move her crib to the other side. Nah, she'd probably learn to open the window and crawl out. She loves being outside.

My day was beautiful because they were all a part of it. This is another page in my story. I tended to their wounds today, 3 of them have what I call, active wounds. #1 has this bug-bite-gone-awry, #3 busted her chin while standing on a kid's ikea stool apparently reaching for the sky, and #2 found a mark on her body after a long search just so she could get some of my TLC, too. Of course I gave it to her.

Sometimes I have to take a few deep breaths because there are four of them, needing me at once. Not just someone, but me. Attention. I am practicing the art of dividing it, keeping it quality, and enjoying it. This is it. That was my day.

I love them. Tonight they sleep, tomorrow they will wake. We will do a very similar routine, but I will smile at each expected turn.

everything to everyone

We all have those "A-ha!" moments. You know, it happens when we are driving, when we are deep in thought, or even just by hearing someone else say it. All of a sudden a light switch gets turned on and we have this new idea or new perspective on things. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are sad, and sometimes they are life-changing. These are special experiences, no matter where they stem from. It is in these moments that we might be able to actually FEEL ourselves grow. As people, as friends, as partners, as parents, or whatever the case may be.

So, obviously this is leading up to one of my A-ha! moments, right?

the mothering muscle

It's been two months since I've posted anything, and I can't believe the time has gone by so fast.

Baby Keira was born on January 18. She was born at 36 weeks which is a whole month early. I had the intention of posting a birth story, but maybe because it was such an exhausting ordeal that I haven't. I will say though, that it wasn't the labor and delivery that was the hardest for me, it was the fact that she had to stay in the NICU for about a week. Fortunately, everything turned out okay and she has no serious long term health effects that we need to worry about. She just needed that extra week in the NICU to mature. She's home, safe and sound.

introducing *Keira Isela* - here she was at about 5 days old

recent pinterest finds

I try not to spend too much time on the site, because I will never get anything done. But here are a few of my most recent finds on Pinterest that have me motivated for inspired to do things and try new things.

 Here is a super easy DIY Baby Blanket tutorial.

 Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken - 4 ingredient recipe.

 I have a dream of turning Emme's old room into half nursery/half crafting room for myself. Here is a nice one.

 I thought this really cool DIY project would give me something to do with the glass jars I've been hoarding.

 Tell me this Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich isn't making you drool.

Some Valentine's Day Inspiration for the upcoming holiday. I know Luci will be expecting something fun.

That's it for now. I've got a lot to prepare this weekend because I know the baby isn't going to stay put for much longer. I will have a new baby in 3 weeks or less!!!!! Have a great weekend.